The exponential growth of internet traffic is driving the increase of transmission data rates in data centers. It is predicted that transceivers operating at speeds equal or higher than 50 Gbps per lane will be utilized in high volume by 2020. The predominant optical media types utilized in data centers are multimode and single-mode optical fibers. The preferred modulation format for transceivers required to achieve data rates higher than 25 Gbps in both fiber types is pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) and in particular PAM-4. For directly modulated vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) based transceivers, the implementation of PAM-4 at data rates over 50 Gbps is challenging due to the slow and non-linear response of the laser. This slow and non-linear response results in signal degradation exhibitable by uneven and/or skewed eyes in an eye diagram.
Thus, there exists a need for further development of methods, systems, and devices which optimize optical signal transmission at high data rates (e.g., at or over 50 Gbps) reducing optical penalties caused by channel impairments such as laser jitter, laser eye tilt, optical dispersion, and distortion among others.
As such, there is a need for further development of devices, systems, and methods which attempt to reduce optical penalties caused by channel impairments such as laser jitter, laser eye tilt, optical dispersion, and distortion among others.